Remote Sensing Monitoring and Numerical Simulation Coupling Studies on Frozen Soil in Cold Regions

Abstract

As an important data source of frozen soil, remote sensing monitoring information has not been fully utilized in the numerical model of frozen soil processes. Few researches exist involving the integration of the two monitoring methods. Following this study, a distributed numerical model for frozen soil processes based on coupled water-heat transferring theory in association with the previously obtained remotely sensed frozen soil datasets will be developed. Parameters characterized the frozen soil status, such as distributions of frozen soils in different types, soil ice content in different times and so on, could be simulated with the developed model. The numerical model systematically integrates the information of surface soil F/T states and considers its impact on the processes of evapotranspiration, infiltration and runoff generation. Several hydrological processes were integrated in the model. Finally, the remote sensing monitoring and numerical simulation coupling method was validated by the in-situ observations over a remote area near the town of Naqu on the East-Central Tibetan Plateau. The results shown that the overall accuracy of the discrimination algorithm based on passive microwave remote sensing was more than 95%. Under the correction of remote sensing monitoring information of frozen soil in the process of numerical simulation, the efficiency of the model and the accuracy of simulation results have been significantly improved.